Fort Ticonderoga has received a grant from the French Heritage Society to underwrite restoration work on the Fort's Soldiers' Barracks. The grant was given to Fort Ticonderoga, originally named Fort Carillon in 1755, because of its historic significance as a French heritage site. The project will replace 80 year old windows and sills on the third floor of the Soldiers' Barracks. Restoration work is currently underway with the windows expected to be installed by the spring of 2014.

"The restoration and preservation of Fort Ticonderoga's historic structures require on-going effort and investment," said Beth Hill, President and CEO of Fort Ticonderoga. "Fort Ticonderoga is delighted to be recognized by the French Heritage Society for its significant French story and its on-going legacy. This grant provides important funding that will have a big impact on the preservation of the Soldiers' Barracks."

The restoration of Fort Ticonderoga was launched in the spring of 1909 by Stephen H.P. and Sarah G.T. Pell and is the earliest restoration of a major historic site in America. It is a project that transformed American preservation thinking in the early 20th century. The monumental restoration began with reconstruction of the Officers' Barracks, western wall and bastions and the Pells simultaneously started assembling a world-renowned collection of 18th-century military objects and archives. The museum formally opened to the public in 1910 and as collections quickly grew, exhibitions were expanded into the Soldiers' Barracks reconstructed in 1930-1931. Over the next decade the restoration continued completing the northern and eastern walls of the Fort by the early 1940s. The most recent reconstruction, the magasin du Roi, (the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center) was completed in 2008 and the legacy of sharing Ticonderoga's epic history continues today.

About Fort Ticonderoga: America's Fort
The Fort Ticonderoga Association is an independent not-for-profit educational organization which serves its mission to ensure that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. It serves this mission by preserving and enhancing its historic structures, collections, gardens and landscapes; and educating the public as it learns about the history of Fort Ticonderoga. Welcoming visitors since 1909, it preserves North America's largest 18th-century artillery collection, 2000 acres of historic landscape on Lake Champlain, and Carillon Battlefield, and the largest series of untouched 18th-century earthworks surviving in America. Fort Ticonderoga engages more than 70,000 visitors each year, and annually reaches more than 5,000 people in outreach programs. Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations, and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May through October. Fort Ticonderoga is accredited by the American Association of Museums and pursues its vision to be the premier cultural destination in North America. Visit www.FortTiconderoga.org for a full list of ongoing programs or call 518-585-2821. Fort Ticonderoga is located at 100 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, New York.

About the French Heritage Society
French Heritage Society is dedicated to protecting the French architectural legacy both in France and the United States with particular emphasis on raising funds for preservation and education. The society fosters long-established French-American relationships through cultural exchanges as it strives to ensure that the treasures of our shared heritage will survive to inspire future generations. Its thirteen chapters in the US and one in Paris have supported the restoration of nearly 500 buildings and gardens since 1982. French Heritage Society also organizes unique student internship opportunities in both countries and offers enriching cultural trips in France and the US for its members. www.fortticonderoga.org